Size Matters
by BrockWillard
Summary: Rhonda Pineda is a Physics student at Ivy Town University when her science professor and his number one pupil drag her into their world. But will she embrace it or regret ever entering?


I never asked for any of this. All I did was show Dr. Palmer that I was a good student and suddenly, I'm being drug into an Atlantean invasion and an alien psychic with a Kryptonite ring. It's just a little too much for me. I love being a hero but not with Amanda Waller over my shoulder. My name is Rhonda Pineda. I am the Atom and this is my story.

**IVY TOWN**

**10:00 AM**

"And that class is how modern science currently understands dwarf stars." Dr. Palmer said turning around from his high tech chalkboard. He made particle physics and astronomy seem so easy. Half my classmates could barely handle this stuff. I guess I just had a brain for it.

"Now, I'll let our own Karen Beecher demonstrate her own work with a similar substance. Karen?" I saw the young black woman in yellow get up from her seat and step down near Dr. Palmer's area. Her hair was black and in a pixie cut. It looked really nice on her. Now, did her brains back up her beauty?

"Thank you, Dr. Palmer. I'm so glad you gave me this opportunity to show what I've been working on in my spare time. As you said, dwarf stars have the ability to warp matter and the molecular level. I believe I've found the inverse." She explained. Dr. Palmer made a face showing a little bit of confusion. A rare emotion from him.

"I'm not sure I understand, Karen." She nodded to him showing confidence.

"Allow me to explain and you'll be amazed. I believe I've discovered a similar presence to the dwarf star matter within atoms here on Earth." He leaned forward in disbelief.

"You care to put your evidence where your hypothesis is?"

"Certainly, sir. I'm also involved in the ITU's engineering program. I've developed a little something applying knowledge from this class and I believe the applications are endless. She began to unbutton her shirt and some of the guys were a little confused but not displeased.

"Um… Karen?" Dr. Palmer said, not sure exactly what he should say.

"Oh, no. I'm not getting naked. Hold on." She said, throwing off her yellow shirt, revealing what looked like an almost mesh-leather texture suit. It was black and yellow. She slipped off her blue jeans as well to reveal a pair of pants to match the top.

"Karen, certainly you aren't going to start saving people like Batman?" Dr. Palmer said to her.

"No, but I will save people like a surgeon. Let me just recalibrate the suit. Better to be safe than sorry." She fiddled around with her arm. I assumed there was some sort of built-in computer in the suit. I couldn't know, though. Engineering's not my field.

"There! It's perfect now." Dr. Palmer gave a "I'm waiting" gesture to which she felt slightly embarrassed. "With this suit, I can allow surgeons to examine a patient with the utmost precision. Accuracy to rival a computer's. Let me just show you." She grasped the circular belt head of her suit and turned it slightly. Suddenly, it appeared she was gone.

"Where'd she go?" One of the guys in the class shouted out. Suddenly, the projector/microscope flipped on and there was Karen in her suit.

"I'm right here, slackers." She said, jokingly. I couldn't really tell, though.

"Karen, I'm monumentally impressed. This changes everything we know about the fundamental laws of physics. You've decreased your mass: Something previously thought impossible. What do you call this revolutionary invention of yours?" Dr. Palmer said, astounded and enamored with Karen's presentation.

"The Bumblebee. Don't know how many surgeons will like the name but its my choice of name." She said. "Oh, I almost forgot. I added another feature to the suit." On the screen, small glowing yellow wings appeared on her back out of the suit. She hovered in the air for a moment and then she flew to the top of the room. She grew back to her normal size and crashed down on to the floor in a Batman-esque pose.

"Still don't want to be Batman?" Dr. Palmer said with a chuckle. The room broke out into a controlled applause for Karen. I had to say I was also impressed. She had to have some serious brain power to back all of that up. She has my vote for new Batman. Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Alright. Class dismissed. I don't know how I'm going to top that presentation next time but we'll see. Have a good weekend everyone." I had to talk to Karen about her suit. How did she develop something on the side like that? She had to have help from someone like Cyborg for crying out loud.

"Hey, Karen? Karen, wait up." I said to her, hoping to get her attention. Luckily, I did.

"That's me. The one and only. I don't believe we've met." She said, almost condescendingly. After that performance, she had every right.

"Rhonda Pineda. I was in that Physics class. I must say… damn!" She laughed a little at my reaction.

"I'm glad I could impress. I aim to." She said, which I'm not sure what that meant. "Were you one of the people that actually appreciated the science behind or just the "Batman" part?" She said with finger quotes.

"Oh no. I thought you're discovery of dwarf star matter-like particles within the fundamental building blocks of matter was completely amazing." I said, almost fangirling over someone I barely knew.

"I like you, chica." She said, referencing my Mexican skin tone. "Well, I've enjoyed you're flattery but if you haven't noticed, Batman needs to change. Remind me to talk to you again." She said, walking away and smiling. Hopefully, I can talk to her again. That was a feat worthy of the League back in the classroom. Oh, I almost forgot. I've got to talk to Dr. Palmer about that extra credit. I walked back into the classroom but Dr. Palmer's blond hair was nowhere to be found. Instead, an black-haired Asian man sat in his chair. He looked up only for a moment before returning to his work.

"I'm afraid Dr. Palmer had to dash right after his lesson. I'm his T.A." That really confused me. Dr. Palmer never missed a day so I didn't think he needed a teaching assistant at all.

"Dr. Palmer has a T.A?"

"Yes. Never heard of me? Not surprising. You probably don't want to, either. I've got some work to do, so if you don't mind." He said, rather rudely. I'm sure he had a good reason. Maybe.

**IVY TOWN**

**7:00 P.M.**

It was the big game against the Gotham City Guardsmen that comes around every year. Our team, of course, is the Ivy Town Vines. Yeah, I know. Awful. I'm glad to be a Vine, though. I'm also glad to be playing in the pep band so I don't have to be near all the sweaty people. Its still not a comfortable gymnasium, but its okay. Its better than being stuck at home playing Dwarves and Dark Knights. Hmm… Not sure about that last one, though.

"Earth to Rhonda. Hello?" Mal Duncan, Trumpet II, said to me as he waved a hand in front of my face. I guess I was just in some sort of trance.

"Oh, sorry. What're we playing?" I said, instinctively.

"Nothing yet. Its not quite time." He said. "Just make sure you don't suck on that trombone too much." He said, jocularly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I just hope for the love of God we don't play that annoying Journey song tonight." I told him. Ever since everyone started singing that blasted song I can't stand. You could imagine my joy when the our director decided it'd be awesome to start playing it.

"You mean, "Don't Stop Believing?" As if he didn't know.

"Nah, really?" I said, sarcastically. He gave me a look and a laugh to try and ease that burn.

"Okay, Miss Testy. I think we're about to start." The director was showing us what song we'd be starting with. Of course. It was my least favorite song. As I drudged through the awful that was that song, I thought about Mal. He's so talented and kind of smart and pretty cool and funny and I'm so helpless to everyone! I can't make up my mind about what or who I want. Maybe I should just give up on relationships and quit everything and shrink down until I'm nothing. I'm just a mess…

Little did I know, things were about to become much more complicated.


End file.
